Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment
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LOWER ROGUE WATERSHED ASSESSMENT ================================================================================================= P.O. Box 666, Gold Beach, OR 97444 (541) 247-2755 fax 247-0408 Prepared by Dana Hicks Coordinator, Lower Rogue Watershed Council August 2005 Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment i ABSTRACT Thank you for your interest in The Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment. The Lower Rogue Watershed Council’s mission is: To help foster, develop and coordinate a basin-wide approach to resource planning and management so as to protect, enhance and restore the natural resources of the entire Rogue Basin through a framework of assessing the Lower Rogue Watershed’s conditions and trends, implementing and monitoring proven management practices, and testing new management practices that are designed to support environmental integrity and economic stability for the communities of the Lower Rogue Watershed. The “Lower Rogue Watershed” consists of all lands and waters that drain into the Rogue and Illinois Rivers within Curry County. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The document has been a long process for the council and we would like to thank past and present watershed council members, staff and our partners for their assistance. Thank you especially to Dr. Bruce Follansbee who completed work on the assessment (especially the Channel Habitat Types), Mrs. Chris Massingill who helped with the Riparian shade analysis, Mrs. Cindy Myers who assisted with the Water Quality and Fish and Habitat chapters, and Mr. Mark McGuire who wrote on the narrative portion of the South Coast Watershed Council assessments, from which some narrative for this assessment was taken or based on. Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment ii OUTLINE The Lower Rogue Watershed Council Assessment is organized into thirteen chapters: I. Watershed Characterization II. Watershed Issues III. History IV. Channel Habitat Types V. Ecoregions VI. Fish and Fish Habitat VII. Water Quality VIII. Sediment IX. Riparian XA. Wetlands XB. Lower Rogue River Estuary XI. Hydrology XII. Water Use XIII. Watershed Synthesis Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment iii REVIEWERS Chapter(s) Reviewers Group/Agency Watershed John Wilson Lower Rogue Watershed Council Characterization Watershed Issues Pete Aspinwall Lower Rogue Watershed Council Ecoregions Scott Thiemann Lower Rogue Watershed Council Channel Habitat Types Steve Mazur Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish and Habitat Mark Lottis Curry Sportfishing Association Todd Confer Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife James Simino United States Forest Service Water Quality Cindy Myers Lower Rogue and South Coast Watershed Councils Clare Bowen Lower Rogue Watershed Council Sediment James Simino United States Forest Service Riparian Steve Mazur Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Ron Ray Lower Rogue Watershed Council Ray Adams Lower Rogue Watershed Council Hydrology Hilaire Peck United States Forest Service Water Use Dennis Graves Lower Rogue Watershed Council This document is also available online at http://www.currywatersheds.org. We hope that you enjoy the assessment and find it as useful. If you have any comments please contact us at 541-247-2755 or [email protected]. Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment iv I WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION A INTRODUCTION The Lower Rogue watershed is defined herein for the purposes of this assessment as the Rogue River and its tributaries downstream from river mile 55, at the Curry County/Josephine County Line in Southwest Oregon. While the Lower Rogue Watershed Council includes the Illinois River and it’s tributaries below river mile 6.6 in its interest, this area is considered by the state of Oregon as part of the Illinois River Watershed and has been assessed by the Illinois Valley Watershed Council. In addition, the Lower Rogue Watershed hydrologic unit extends beyond river mile 55, but the portion beyond river mile 55 is part of the Middle Rogue Watershed Council’s territory as defined by the state of Oregon. The Lower Rogue basin is 226,668 acres and empties into the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach, Oregon. The basin lies entirely within the Klamath Mountains Physiographic province, an area noted for steep, rugged terrain, narrow valleys, and sharp divides. Due to the geologic substrates present, most of the region is subject to varying degrees of instability. The topography of the basin reflects long- term erosion of a slowly rising upland; the result being a ridge system of roughly uniform elevation. Land use within the basin is primarily forestry related. No major urban areas, industrial centers, or agricultural operations are present in the lower Rogue basin. B SUBWATERSHEDS The Rogue River is divided into 13 “subwatersheds” for the purposes of this assessment; including 6 subwatersheds making up the mainstem of the Rogue River, and 7 tributaries. Delineation of subwatershed boundaries was based on several factors, including hydrologic boundaries, preexisting boundaries established by federal agencies, changes in topography, and river designations (e.g. wild & scenic, recreational). Subwatersheds were named after the major tributary (e.g. Quosatana Creek) or position in the watershed (e.g. Lower Rogue Mainstem). C LAND OWNERSHIP AND USE Within the Lower Rogue assessment area, 75 percent of the watershed is in public ownership and includes both federal and state lands. Most of the federal ownership is managed by the US Forest Service, with most of BLM’s management being in the Wild and Scenic area in the Upper Upper Rogue Mainstem. Public lands include 87% forest, 13% young nonforest, and <0.5% each in urban/agriculture and water. Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment 1.1 Private lands account for 25% of the watershed and include 74% forest, 22% young nonforest, 3% urban/agriculture, and 2% water. The Gold Beach urban growth boundary (UGB) contains 0.14% of the private lands and includes 12% forest, 45% young nonforest, 40% urban/agriculture, and 3% water. Table 1.1. Lower Rogue Watershed Land Use Summary Subwatershed Public Lands Private Lands UGB All Classes Forested Urban/Agriculture All Classes Lower Rogue Mainstem 3,640 22,157 1,124 307 Lobster Mainstem 4,315 13,950 10 0 Lobster North Fork 9,904 0 0 0 Lobster South Fork 15,404 719 0 0 Lower Middle Rogue 16,231 9,034 10 0 Quosatana 13,692 2,682 4 0 Upper Middle Rogue 12,467 1,401 53 0 Lower Upper Rogue 12,506 1,225 41 0 Shasta Costa 23,436 0 0 0 Foster 7,352 378 5 0 Middle Upper Rogue 17,312 416 0 0 Upper Upper Rogue 27,345 352 0 0 Stair 10,583 0 0 0 Grand Total 159,966 52,312 1,248 307 Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment 1.2 Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment 1.3 Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment 1.4 Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment 1.5 Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment 1.6 II WATERSHED ISSUES A BACKGROUND (GWEB 1999) The issues to be addressed in a watershed assessment typically arise from local efforts to address concerns that often begin at federal and state levels. Listing of fish populations under the federal Endangered Species Act, for example, immediately focuses attention on evaluating habitat quality or hatchery production in the watershed. Likewise, water quality limited stream segments, listed under authority of the federal Clean Water Act, require that watershed management plans or Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) be developed at the state or local level. B INTRODUCTION The identification of watershed issues was intentionally conducted early in the process to help direct the watershed assessment. The purpose of identifying watershed issues was primarily to gain an understanding of the Lower Rogue Watershed Council’s perspective on those practices that may potentially impact salmonid fish habitat and water quality. C RESULTS The Lower Rogue watershed issues are summarized in two tables: Table 2.1, Lower Rogue River Regulatory Issues and Table 2.2, Lower Rogue Watershed Council Issues. Table 2.1 Lower Rogue River Regulatory Issues Endangered Species Act Species Status coho salmon threatened green sturgeon species of concern Aquatic Resource Clean Water Act- 303 (d) List Issues Tributary/Reach River mile Parameter (based on federal Foster Creek 0 to 5.2 Temperature and state law) Indian Creek 0 to 1.7 Temperature Quosatana Cr. 0 to 8.1 Temperature Rogue River 0 to 68.3 Temperature Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment 2.1 Shasta Costa Cr. 0 to 13.4 Temperature Lower Rogue Watershed Assessment 2.2 Table 2.2 Lower Rogue Watershed Council Issues Land Use Fish Habitat Water Quality Other Beneficial Uses Forestry Industrial Have harvest activities (past Have harvest activities (past Are there cumulative effects on or present) affected diversity or present) affected water hydrology from forestry? and quality of riparian areas? temperatures? Was stream cleaning performed Do forest roads generate on streams in basin? high levels of sediment? __________________________________________________________________________________________ Agriculture Ranching Have ranching activities Do ranching activities How does irrigation use affected riparian areas deliver sediment or manure affect stream flow? or wetlands? to streams? How much irrigation is/is not permitted? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Fishing Are current fishing regulations adequate to protect populations? Commercial Does commercial fishing impact fish populations? Sport Do boat wakes erode Does catch and release affect banks? fish populations? Does boat traffic load affect Does guided fishing affect populations Rural Residential Has RR reduced/impacted Do